For so many of his friends, he was just Q-man — a superhero of sorts, a boy who lifted spirits and radiated cheer and charm.

And on Wednesday he was gone. Fifteen-year-old Quinton Sanford, a wrestler and cross country runner at Highlands Ranch High School, collapsed that afternoon during a school-sponsored run along the High Line Canal.

Friends said his father, who was present at the race, performed CPR, but Quinton died en route to the hospital.

For much of the school, Thursday was a day of mourning. Word of the sophomore's death spread quickly.